Man ran for life screaming ‘don’t kill me’

Luke Jones, 33, was behind the wheel of his Jeep Grand Cherokee when he hunted his former wife's new lover through a gated vacant property in Kelso.

Police prosecutor Mark Fenlon told Townsville Magistrates Court Jones began crashing through metal fences as he followed the victim after an altercation at his estranged wife's property nearby.

As the victim tried to flee over fences in a vacant lot, he tripped and Jones drove over his pelvic area, the court heard.

"The witness (Jones's wife) stated that while the defendant was chasing the victim … she could hear the victim yelling, 'don't kill me, I've got kids'," Mr Fenlon said.

The horrifying ordeal started when Jones arrived at their Kelso property after he received messages from his wife saying she was suicidal.

The court heard he turned up to the house angry and threatened the victim, saying: "You're dead."

When the victim tried to flee, Jones drove directly at him, hitting him, before the injured man tried to take shelter in the vacant lot.

Mr Fenlon said Jones effectively hunted his victim down and struck him twice with his car leaving him with significant injuries.

The court heard Jones and his wife, who share three young children, had recently separated and she had been dating the victim for three weeks. Jones was on bail at the time of the horrific offending for failing to give way at a roundabout, in which he left a motorcyclist in an induced coma.

The 33-year-old yesterday pleaded guilty in the Townsville Magistrates Court to assault occasioning bodily harm, dangerous operation of a vehicle and drive without due care and attention.

Defence barrister Kelly Stone said his client claimed he didn't intentionally run over the victim. He said Jones was remorseful and had plans to rebuild his life and relationship with his wife.

The court heard in the lead up to the offending Jones was suffering from an adjustment disorder, which is a group of symptoms, such as stress, feeling sad or hopeless.

Magistrate Viviana Keegan noted he was on bail at the time of offending and that it was "deliberate" and "protracted".

"In effect, you hunted him down with your car, you ran over him twice in using your car as a weapon," she said.

However, she also noted Jones was struggling from a great deal of stress.

Jones was sentenced to two-a-half-years in jail and will be released on parole on March 20. He has already spent 128 days in custody.